From the Virginia & Truckee 1976 list:The Nevada Commission for the Reconstruction of the V&T Railway recently purchased the a 1914 2-8-2 Mikado, the #18, from the McCloud Railroad. The Northern Nevada Railway Foundation (www.steamtrain.org) has been charged with raising the money to pay for the locomotive which is the first piece of either rolling stock or motive power to be purchased to the Reconstructed V&T.If you wish to help, please make checks payable to the NNRF, note that the donation is to go to the Locomotive, and mail them to the Northern Nevada Railway Foundation, P.O. Box 339, Carson City, NV 89702.Now for further news of the Reconstruction. The North end of Tunnel #2 was recently opened up and it appears that the tunnel is in better shape than expected with minor rock falls every 20-30 feet. The next step is for them to open up the South entrance so the engineers can determine the best way to make the tunnel safe for rail travel.The acquisition of right-of-way for the rest of the route is progressing well. The Commission has chosen two possible sites for the Carson City Depot and at their last meeting voted on which one was the preferred site.For those interested the Commission meets on the 1st Monday of each Month and the Foundation meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the Month.You can contact me or the Foundation for the meeting locations.Linda LippincottTrusteeNorthern Nevada Railway Foundation

If this is a historical reconstruction, is it possible to put the depot back exactly where it was?If not, could the line tie into the state rr museum?Jim

The depot for Carson City still exists, however I beleive it functions as some sort of govermental offices, and is right in the middle of the city.The idea of tying it to the state museum is impossible. The museum is on the far edge of town, on the other side of where the RR is going to be coming in. You'd have to cut through the whole city to be able to get there.

Jim,The rebuilt line will end on the east side of Carson City. The area has built up so much over the past 50+ years to try to construct the line into downtown Carson City (where the original V&T depot still stands).Likewise, there are no plans to connect with the Nevada State RR Museum.Carson City has become a big town. There is a bypass freeway going in to get the through traffic off the main drag in front of the State Capital. Carson City, and the communities east and south of it have become bedroom communities for Reno.

When we did the feasibility study in '94, I sure looked hard. We studied aerial maps, right-of-ways, even tried to figure out how to bring it down the side of the highway.The roundhouse site (that is gone) I think is now occupied by a hirise building - post office or something like that. Anyway, public, and BIG. Too big to get around, under, or through.The downtown station was a VFW meeting site house when we were there, now I hear it is being considered to be a casino site.You'd have a portion of the railroad that doesn't necessarily add to the visitor experience - running in or beside a multiple-lane expressway. And in this case, it can't be made historic, and you'd now have a huge NIMBY problem without common-carrier protection rights, either. And downtown, there's really no parking, either - not for the kind of ridership this needs to survive.Our preferred site was just outside the Carson Canyon, west of the new I-50 bypass, with good visibility and access, space for shops and parking, and at least for now - no neighbors. You exited almost immediately into the canyon area on the original ROW. The area at that spot is relatively unspoiled by viewscape issues - at least looking toward the Canyon. I'm not sure (yet) on the site selection, but so far the 'plan' has been followed fairly closely here, if just taking absolutely forever to actually happen.

While it would be nice if NSRM could tie in to the new V&T reconstruction, it would probably be simpler to just move the museum, buildings and all, to a spot along the line, considering how dense CC is getting.Hope they will move the V&T depot to the line if that parcel gets developed for a casino.

Hi Randy,I was just checking the topo maps for the area.Did the '94 plan suggest reconstruction of the RR back through Carson Canyon or stopping short of the Canyon and placing the new V&T terminus just south of the Mound House site, alongside Rt 50? Just curious.Sincerely,Glenn

Oh, no, just the opposite. There was one 'Plan B' option to ONLY build in the Carson Canyon between Mound House and Carson City, because that's the most scenic portion of the railroad - and the part that nobody knows about unless you are either a local or have a 4x4.It's an incredible piece of work. Basically, when the Chinese left the CP, they were hired on here to do the original gradework up the canyon. All pick-and-shovel and basket work, deep cuts, high (narrow) fills, and some hand-hewn stonework that looks like it was just finished yesterday. Its very historic. Unlike the Colorado narrow-guages, there was a real engineering standard here - not just the shortest distance the cheapest way. They thought the line would survive the ages just by the way they built it. The neatest part is that because of that workmanship, it effectively has. I just love it, and I think others will to. It's a "wow!". One issue we argued and lost was to NOT fill in the Overman pit with dirt - but to reconstruct the Crown Point Treste. It's a TOURIST RAILROAD, not the UP main line, and it was about a tie between a trestle and all that $$$ for fill. Wood lasts forever out there, and the weight of the trestle on subsidence issues was substantially less. By the time a new angle of repose was calculated the fill got a lot bigger than originally guessed.

Thanks Randy!That the plan calls for the RR to return to Carson Canyon is FABULOUS! I was hoping you'd say that.I also have to agree with you. A reconstructed Crown Point trestle would have been spectacular! But either way, God willing, I'm gonna RIDE!Am I correct in assuming then that the '94 plan recommended skirting the housing near Mound House and at the east end of the Canyon, emerging from the Canyon on the west end and swinging more or less straight north across Rt 50 to the vicinity of the Golf Course? Best Regards,Glenn

Pretty much didn't have any choice on that one. The ROW is now a public road so you're back on BLM ground. Working the track south/west of Mound House also put it at a higher elevation - which resulted in the bridge overpass over US50.We did some really detailed visitor-oriented concepts that I hope doesn't get lost - like the NEED to have a through-girder bridge with girders set low enough so that you could see out the car windows as you rode over US50, seeing Carson in the distance - almost like coming into Denver on the Front Range. Some things have actually gone right - I was a strong advocate for a logging-style 2-8-2 that could handle 4% grades, run in reverse as needed, and still have enough tractive effort to get eight short reproduction cars up the hill. Anything smaller and the railroad couldn't possibly deliver enough volume to pay for itself in terms of operating costs.

Thanks Randy!The overhead bridge across Rt 50 probably works best anyway. Can't buy better advertising than that.The promise of a new, expanded V&T is very exciting. Please keep us apprised.Best Regards,Glenn